UK blocks Zimbabwe health workers’ recruitment in new policy stance

HARARE – The United Kingdom (UK) government has pronounced a stop in the recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers into its National Health Service (NHS) in attempts to cut the exodus of key medical personnel from Zimbabwe.

This, according to authorities in London, is in line with Zimbabwe’s placement by WHO on the red list, which denotes countries facing serious health personnel challenges.

There are 55 countries on the 2023 WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List.

Of these, 37 are in the WHO African region, eight in the Western Pacific region, six in the Eastern Mediterranean region, three in the South-East Asia region and one in the Americas.

Eight countries including Zimbabwe have just been added to the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List 2023 published earlier this month.

These 55 countries, according to WHO, have a density of doctors, nurses and midwives below the global median of 49 medical doctors, nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 people.

Over the years, UK government recruited extensively from Zimbabwe.

Although WHO’s 2023 health workforce support and safeguard list does not preclude international recruitment per se, UK’s policy is not to recruit workers from countries on the red list.

UK’s code of practice, which governs and outlines international personnel recruitment, has three grading systems: red, amber, and green.

UK’s recruitment is strictly monitored in Amber grading in accordance with the relevant government-to-government agreement.

Furthermore, no active recruitment is permitted outside of the government-to-government agreement.

Active recruitment is prohibited under the red grading system, while active recruitment is permitted under the green grading system from the UK government, agencies, collaborations, and contracting bodies.

Zimbabwe’s troubled health sector continues to be deserted by qualified staff for greener pastures abroad.

UK’s National Health Service has been an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses as wages are far higher than those paid back home.

Zimbabwe battles recurrent economic challenges that have seen wages decimated by endless inflation.